So this is the thread that I'll be using to track my progress with the mods I make to my boat. It will be slow to update for awhile but I figured it would be a good idea to get this going now. I guess I should start with a little background history first, so here we go!
Background: This is my first boat... Ever. From what I can tell this is a 12' Aluminum V-Hull Jon Boat (Lonestar) that was built in 1972. The boat came with a trailer, some pedestal seats, a 17lb Minn-Kota trolling motor, some ancient PFD's and pre-built deck. I took it out for the first time on Labor day. It was NOT cheap to launch but it was our maiden voyage and would be the only opportunity we would get for 2 weeks (when I say we... I am referring to myself and my girlfriend's 12yr old son). We had no anchor, no dock lines, or anything else. We ended up using a cinder block for an anchor and some cheap cotton rope for our dock lines. We still had fun though, and caught a few fish...
Current image of the boat as of 09/02/2008:
Goals:
Another view of the boat, from a different angle:
Background: This is my first boat... Ever. From what I can tell this is a 12' Aluminum V-Hull Jon Boat (Lonestar) that was built in 1972. The boat came with a trailer, some pedestal seats, a 17lb Minn-Kota trolling motor, some ancient PFD's and pre-built deck. I took it out for the first time on Labor day. It was NOT cheap to launch but it was our maiden voyage and would be the only opportunity we would get for 2 weeks (when I say we... I am referring to myself and my girlfriend's 12yr old son). We had no anchor, no dock lines, or anything else. We ended up using a cinder block for an anchor and some cheap cotton rope for our dock lines. We still had fun though, and caught a few fish...
Current image of the boat as of 09/02/2008:
Goals:
Outboard Motor: Currently we only have 17lb thrust trolling motor. It doesn't really have enough... umphh to get us anywhere worthwhile. I'm hoping to find something between a 5hp - 9.8hp. I'll need to do some more research to find out exactly how big I can go safely but I'm thinking my range would definitely be plenty enough to get us around.
Trolling Motor: Relatively soon I think I am going to upgrade the trolling motor to something between a 30-50lb thrust. It really depends on my budget though. I'd like to get the outboard first, which is why I have it listed first.
New Paint: The boat could use a new paint job. We're going to replace the deck so we'll strip the current decking out, strip the paint and give it a fresh new paint job. Not sure what color yet though. This is going to be a tricky step though. I want to do it before it gets too cold (causes issues with the paint setting) but at the same time I don't want to strip the boat down during a time period where we can still utilize it... Undecided on the color as of now.
Electrical/Lights: Once I have an outboard on it, I'm going to need lighting for sure. I'd like to build a central wiring terminal with controls, and have a few plug-ins around the boat for use with handhelds. I'm sure some of this is going to depend on the next goal I have listed...
New Deck: The current deck is not to my liking at all. It is very bulky and not laid out in way that I think is very efficient. I'm hoping to reduce some of the weight by going with a lighter frame and deck material, but that is stuff I'll need to work out. I was originally thinking that I would add a 3rd seat to the boat but the more I think about it... The more I don't think a 12' boat is well suited for 3 people. I'll be posting sketches of the ideas I have for this in the next few weeks, and as the project progresses. This is something I want to get nailed down before I start on the work.
Another view of the boat, from a different angle: